I covered Poca’s Dick Darby Invitational on Tuesday and used the opportunity to speak with Buffalo senior runner Dylan Rich, as well as Buffalo coach Richie Wyant. I also spoke with representatives from Wayne and Herbert Hoover and later in the week with Hurricane coaches Jason Henley and Paul Sowards, as well as Winfield coach David Bailey and George Washington athletic director Shawn Wheeler for a preview article on today’s BB&T George Washington Classic track meet.
Much of my discussions with these individuals did not find the paper or my previous blog because of space limitations, so I wanted to provide an area to share their thoughts.
The following are quotes with regard to running at meets held at Laidley Field in order to help athletes get a preview for the state meet’s atmosphere.
“It’s become really important that we get in some of those high-energy atmospheres like Laidley and places like that where we can get pushed a little bit either by the competition or by the crowds around us,” said Jason Henley, Hurricane long-distance coach.
Henley added, “When you go to meets where the competition is all spread out and the kids sit, the kids settle and they don’t run nearly as fast, so it’s really good to get in big meets where there’s lot of people just so you can have people to race around, because that’s what it is ultimately. I think they’re supposed to be racing and they tend to do a lot better in that type of atmosphere than they do when it’s just kind of spread out. That’s what we’re looking forward to and getting them some personal record times in a good competition setting.”
“It’s always fun to go to Laidley,” said Paul Sowards, Hurricane sprints coach.
Sowards added, “It’s always good to go to Laidley and we get to see some of the Kanawha County teams. I’m sure some of the northern teams are coming down that we haven’t seen yet. It’s always a cool atmosphere when you get to go to Laidley and experience that.
“Hopefully, they’ll be able to get some confidence running against some teams in the region and give them an idea, a real gauge, since this is one of the first large meets, give them a real gauge of where they stand against the competition.”
Wheeler, the GW Classic event organizer, said “Everybody likes to try and get to Laidley a couple times a year it seems like.
“I think all the meets at Laidley are good meets. We have a lot of officials that work every meet there and they do a really good job. It’s a really good place to come to a meet."
Below are some “left-over” quotes from some of the people I interviewed this week.
Paul Sowards, Hurricane sprints coach
-On senior Jeff Burnette, who runs the 200, 400, 4x200 and 4x400.
“He’s really stepped up in his senior year and produced results.”
-On what Hurricane will look to work on at Friday’s meet
“We’re working to make our relays better, better hand-offs, better exchanges, getting the most out of the exchange zone. We’re just basically instilling a strong work ethic. It is six weeks or so to regionals, but at the same time it’s pretty close when you think about it time wise with three or four meets in between that time period. We just basically want to stress the fact that we need to continue to work hard and get better, things like that.”
Richie Wyant, Buffalo boys track coach
-On senior Dylan Rich and his late arrival to the track team after being a part of the Bison basketball team’s run to the State Tournament
“He started on the basketball team that made it to the playoffs. He hasn’t been running distance until really his sophomore year. His freshman year, he ran the 4x800 for us and he was on that relay team and through cross country kind of developed a love for running. He’s relatively new at the distance stuff, the mile and two mile. He came in fourth his sophomore year in the state and he won the 800 and 1600 last year as a junior.”
-On what sets Rich apart from other runners
“He’s a well-conditioned kid with great speed. That’s kind of the best way to put it.”
-On Rich’s work ethic
“I never have to worry if he’s getting in his workout. He’s the mother hen to all the other guys that we have doing the distance stuff as well. He’s making sure they’re getting theirs.”
-On Rich defeating Cabell Midland’s Jacob Burcham in the 800-meter run earlier in the season
“(Rich) slingshot off the curve and when they started down to the straight stretch it was just obvious it had more left in his engine than Burcham did. He passed him with about 50 meters to go.”
-On Rich as a person
“He’s a very bright kid. He’s mentally tough. He’s just a super likeable kid, easy to coach, all those clichés that you hear people say about people. He works for me in the summer at the Eleanor pool, and he works for me because I hired him. I enjoy having him around. That says a lot about him that I’m not fed up with him at the end of the track season that I still want to see him.”
Dylan Rich, Buffalo senior
-On his favorite event, the 800
“That’s usually the race I think I am (the best in), but ever since last year during the state meet where I got the state record in the mile, my dad’s kind of been saying I’m more a mile runner. But, I like the 800 a lot better than any other race I run.”
-On his competition in the region
“Ever since they moved St. Marys out of our region and put Doddridge in, that’s – the only other runner that I need to really worry about is Caleb Moore, of Doddridge. Me and him are good buddies. We’ll both get there again.”
-On where he feels he needs to improve
“Definitely the 3200. I definitely need to work on more endurance and basically work on running by myself. Basically, I’ll have Caleb Moore and Marcus Black, of Charleston Catholic, there, but I really do need to work on my endurance more.”
Jeanette Rutherford, Wayne boys and girls track coach
-said freshman Kade Sebastian runs 100, fastest time is :11.6
-added junior Kurt Langdon-Arthur runs 200 in low :24s
-said senior Lexi Beckett and junior Kylie Rutherford are other top athletes
-Beckett does shot put and discus -- placed last year in shot at state, just missed in disc
-Rutherford runs the 800, 1600 and 3200
-Junior Curt Langdon-Arthur running in low :24s in the 200
-On team’s goals
“First of all, the goal is to make it to state. We’re just trying to get the kids in better shape. We’re in the same boat as everybody else. The weather hasn’t been very good, so we’ve had to work on that.”
Steve Dolin, Herbert Hoover boys track coach
-said senior Josh Gurski, finished second in 400 with personal record at Tuesday’s Dick Darby Invitational at Poca
-added Gurski also does high jump, 100 and 200, and Gurski was anchor of third-place shuttle hurdle relay last year at state
-said the boys 4x100 team is one of Hoover’s stronger events, led by senior Brandon Hanson and Nate Cook
Lance Moore, Herbert Hoover girls track coach
-said Emily Henry, who runs 100, 200, 4x100 and 4x200, is one of team’s strongest runners
-added girls 4x100 will be strong, possibly 4x800, too
-said senior Holly Pernell is a hurdler and runs on the relays
“She’s really busted her butt and fought through some injuries.”
-On team’s early-season goals
“This early, still more or less with the weather we had to practice a lot, timing on hand-offs, starts out of the blocks, just a lot of basic fundamental stuff.
“They’re all practice until regional. The regional is the one that counts. Our goal is just to get as many kids down to the state tournament as we can and hopefully place them.”
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